Blog & News

Among Catholic religious orders in the United States that, like the U.S. church itself, are facing a national reckoning over clergy sexual abuse of children, the Claretians stand out. The Claretians operate Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 3200 E. 91st St. on the Southeast Side, which was the first Mexican American Catholic congregation in Chicago, established in the 1920s. Many of the order’s ministries center on children, including tutoring, violence...Read More

April is  S.A.A.M.  What does this mean and what can we as advocates, do about it? Sexual violence is pervasive in our society and must  be understood under a broader lens with the consequences ranging from subtle to deadly. Further complicating matters, we know that  sexual assault is an underreported crime  and  many cases even if reported are never prosecuted. A 2015 prevalence study by the University of Texas found 40% (2 in...Read More

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is a time dedicated to child abuse education, awareness  and  prevention. Current data from  The Centers for Disease Control  is  as follows: Sexual violence is common. More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 38 men have experienced completed or attempted rape...Read More

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence[1] recently published the following disturbing statistics regarding Dating Violence : TEEN DATING VIOLENCE Nearly 20.9% of female high school students and 13.4% of male high school students report being physically or sexually abused by a dating partner. Nearly 1.5 million high school students in the United States are physically abused by dating partners every year. A 2013 study of 10th graders found that 35%...Read More

Many professionals such as First Responders, mental healthcare workers, lawyers, judges, police officers, clergy  and others who routinely come in contact with trauma and suffering as part of their work  can suffer emotional and physical affects because regular interaction with trauma can take a toll. The result can be what is termed  “vicarious trauma.”  When we experience on a daily  basis overwhelming  information that is horrific and disturbing —our bodies,...Read More